DAVIE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Thursday morning at a water treatment plant in Davie.
The governor signed SB 1638, “Funding for Environmental Resource Management,” which in part will mandate that 96% of any revenue share payment received by the state under the Seminole gaming compact shall enter the proposed Indian Gaming Revenue Clearing Trust Fund within the Department of Financial Services, meant to disburse monthly what DeSantis said could amount to some $700 million each fiscal year to support the following aspects of Florida wildlife management, per the bill:
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- The lesser of 26.042% or $100 million each fiscal year to support the Florida wildlife corridor, including the acquisition of lands or conservation easements within the Florida wildlife corridor.
- The lesser of 26.042% or $100 million each fiscal year for the management of uplands and the removal of invasive species.
- The lesser of 36% or $36 million to the Department of Environmental Protection.
- The lesser of 88.889% of the funds available or $32 million to the State Park Trust Fund within the department for land management activities within the state park system.
- The lesser of 11.111% of the funds available or $4 million to the Internal Improvement Trust Fund within the department for the purpose of implementing the Local Trail Management Grant Program.
- The lesser of 32% or $32 million to the Incidental Trust Fund within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for land management activities
- The lesser of 32% or $32 million to the State Game Trust Fund within the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for land management activities, including management activities for gopher tortoises and Florida panthers.
- The lesser of 26.042% or $100 million each fiscal year to the Resilient Florida Trust Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection for the Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience Plan.
- After the distributions, the remainder each fiscal year will go to the Water Protection and Sustainability Program Trust Fund within the Department of Environmental Protection for the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program.
The Indian Gaming Revenue Clearing Trust Fund will not exist, however, until SB 7080 is also signed by the governor. As such, the bill signed Thursday will not go into effect until SB 7080 is also signed, which passed the legislature March 5. The bill signed Thursday additionally calls for the creation of the Local Trail Management Grant Program mentioned in the proposed disbursements.
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The FWC according to SB 1638 will be authorized to enter into voluntary and potentially incentivized agreements with private landowners for environmental services within the Florida wildlife corridor, requiring that said landowners must protect and restore water resources, improve management of wildlife habitats and manage the land in a manner that keeps the ecosystem healthy for protected species.
DeSantis was joined at the South Florida Water Management District Fort Lauderdale Station by Shawn Hamilton, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Marcellus Osceola Jr., chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
The 30-year gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe and the state was signed by the governor in 2021, allowing the tribe to operate sports betting as well as craps and roulette at its casinos. In return for agreeing to the compact, the state is said to receive at least $2.5 billion over the first five years and an estimated $20 billion over the 30 years of the deal.
Watch the news conference again in the video player below:
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